The Beginning of the End
by AlexJanna
Summary: 1st in Changing Eras Verse. Arthur is finally King, Merlin is his Sorcerer, and Guinevere is his beloved Queen. But one look at that name on the lists of the knights' tournament and Arthur knew that it had all been too good to last.


**Title**: The Beginning of the End  
><strong>Author<strong>: AlexJanna  
><strong>Fandom<strong>: Merlin  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Arthur/Gwen, (hinted future)Gwen/Lancelot, (_lightly_ hinted future)Merlin/Arthur  
><strong>Series<strong>: Changing Eras Verse  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG  
><strong>Genre<strong>: AU after _Merlin_ season 3  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1,826  
><strong>Warning<strong>: infidelity, future mpreg, canon(Arthurian legend) and canon(_Merlin_), post _Merlin_, assume spoilers for seasons 1-3  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Arthur is finally King, Merlin is his Sorcerer, and Guinevere is his beloved Queen. But one look at that name on the lists of the knights' tournament and Arthur knew that it had all been too good to last.

**A/N**: This is the _first_ part to my Changing Eras Verse. It's a mix of Arthurian Legend and BBC's _Merlin_, if with a much happier ending. I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

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><p>He knew things would never be the same when he saw that shield and name on the lists, but he also knew there was nothing he could do about it. Arthur knew that the tournament was a good idea, a great idea in fact and he knew that competitor would make it to the top and be one of the best. He also knew that it could very well be the down fall of his kingdom.<p>

Well, Arthur would just have to work to make sure that didn't happen.

Merlin had been a fan of the idea of an open admission tournament as an audition of sorts for new knights to join in the ranks of Camelot. That was probably the first clue that told Arthur it was actually a monumentally bad idea, but then Gwen had agreed with Merlin, as usual, and all was lost.

Queen Guinevere, his Guinevere was loved in the kingdom and if she thought a tourney opened for everyone to compete for a chance to join Arthur's Knights was a good idea, well then the entire castle and the entire kingdom really thought so too. He was doomed before he'd even finished talking and he knew it.

Of course much the same could be said for his Court Sorcerer as well. Everyone loved Merlin more now that Arthur was king than they did when he had Merlin for a manservant. Of course they still thought he was still a bit dimwitted, but no matter. They valued his input, his help, his expertise and that was really all Arthur could hope for when he had elevated Merlin on the day of his coronation.

And that had been one hell of an interesting day indeed. His father had been dead for a month and then he was appointing a Court Sorcerer while simultaneously loosening certain restrictions on magic and pardoning his own addle minded servant for disobeying his father's rules for the entirety of his time in Camelot.

The guards hardly knew what to do with themselves, but Merlin had just blushed and grinned stupidly as he twiddled his fingers and made stars fall above the courtiers' heads in the great hall. It was beautiful and amazing and just the sort of dumb thing that Arthur had expected him to do.

The entire court was treated to the sight of their knew King laughing himself to tears, his crown askew, while all the lords and ladies screamed and ran from the harmless little light show Merlin was performing.

Yes, quite a memorable day indeed.

The lists at the tournament grounds were filled with names and places and half baked designs for shields that he knew damned well didn't actually exist. He rolled his eyes and turned to see his Court Sorcerer's reaction.

Merlin had his eyes narrowed on one particular shield with a look of such concentration that Arthur feared he might actually set it a flame.

"If you squint any harder at that shield, Merlin, you'll burn it to a crisp." Arthur commented with a little bit of his old teasing in his voice.

Jolting a bit, Merlin looked over at him and rolled his eyes at his King. Treasonous, so very treasonous. Why hasn't he beheaded him yet?

"I hadn't realized Lancelot was coming to the tournament." Merlin said instead of taking Arthur's invitation to tease him in return.

Arthur suppressed a sigh as that feeling of doom settled more firmly in his chest. "Yes, neither had I. I had assumed he'd traveled to the mainland to seek fortune, or to Hibernia(1) to acquire a lordship."

That caused Merlin to frown a bit. He didn't answer, but to hum distractedly.

Arthur tired not to let that worry him. Merlin was as much of a mystery now as he was when he'd first challenged Arthur for bullying a servant on his first day in Camelot. He doubts very much that he will ever be able to truly decipher his servant –cough- Sorcerer as long as he lives.

"Well, as lovely as this is going. I think the squire has the enrollment in order. We should be getting back to the castle."

They turned to head back, but Arthur spared one last glance back at the lists. He had a bad feeling about this. A wind blew past him and ruffled the flags and banners. He just didn't know which way the wind was headed.

* * *

><p>The feast that night for all the visiting competitors was… interesting to say the least. Arthur sat in his seat at the high table with his crown atop his head, his Queen on his left, his Sorcerer on his right and that feeling of dread still settled firmly in his gut. He didn't think he'd be able to digest his food overly well tonight. Perhaps Gaius would give him something for that.<p>

"As King of Camelot and her extended realm I would like to welcome you all to her lands to enjoy her hospitality and her festivities in the light of this momentous occasion." Arthur said as he raised his goblet to the gathered crowd of rather sorry looking competitors. "I bid you all good fortune in the tournament tomorrow and a good feast tonight."

The crowd rose up in cheers and shouts and Arthur downed the entirety of his wine in one gulp. Gwen shot him a concerned glance as he sat down once more, but he simply smiled a little strained at her.

"Arthur," she leaned over and placed a light, soft hand on his arm. "Are you alright? You seem a bit out of sorts?"

He motioned for a serving boy to refill his goblet before answering. Now he had Merlin's rather keen, worried gaze on him as well. "It's nothing." He told her quietly as he patted her hand comfortingly and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "The day has been long. I would have rather liked to skip the feast and head to bed."

Gwen seemed to take this for truth and she smiled sweetly at him before kissing him gently on his lips. "It's alright, darling. We don't have to stay for the entire thing. I'm sure Merlin would stay in our stead."

She leant forward to look at Merlin in question. Arthur looked over as well and didn't quite miss the quick shuttering of his friend's eyes before that same dopey smile was pasted over his lips.

"Of course, Gwen." Merlin nodded and lifted his wine to his lips with a certain desperation that Arthur knew he wasn't the only one suddenly dreading the day tomorrow. "I don't mind."

As always Gwen didn't quite notice the severity of either man's apprehension and she smiled sweetly at them both before returning to her meal.

Arthur suppressed a sigh and flicked his eyes over to Merlin to share a single moment of understanding in their foreshadowing before he too turned back to the food. His appetite was gone, but his hands lifted food to his mouth nonetheless.

He didn't miss the absence of a certain competitor from the feast.

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><p>The first rounds were as always over rather quickly. A rather large brute with an axe large enough to fell a tree had been pitted against a scrawny farm boy with a chipped sword. Needlessly to say the outcome of that was quite obvious.<p>

Arthur watched from his seat in the royal box a frown of concentration on his brow and an eye firmly set on Merlin standing ground level to the field. They had agreed to work in junction with each other to choose the men that would be best to train as knights.

Arthur looked for skill and Merlin used some nifty little spell or other to measure their heart, their nobility of character. The casting and maintaining of the spell wore him out, and Arthur was determined to keep an eye on him. He could pick knights without the help of a spell; he couldn't have a trusted Court Sorcerer without Merlin.

"That was rather quick." Gwen commented from his left.

"Hm." He hummed in thought, half his attention still on Merlin's frown of concentration. "He won't be one my knights."

Gwen frowned at that and glanced back down at the field for a moment as the next two competitors stepped up. "Why is that?"

"Bad sportsmanship." He answered as the next bout started. Both men fought well and both of them showed their opponent mercy and respect. They would be two he watched throughout the tournament.

And so the day went on. Arthur was half glad and half disappointed that Lancelot hadn't been called yet. He knew, even without seeing the man fight, that Lancelot had a place in his knights already, he just didn't know if it was such a good idea after all to let him in.

"Alfrith was a boar." Merlin was saying as they sat at Arthur's table in his study later that evening. "Quite literally really. I would suggest not considering him for a place with your Knights."

"Wasn't going to." Arthur told him, unconcerned. "He fought like an uncoordinated rockslide."

Merlin smiled at that and leaned back in his seat. "I suppose. What about Gwaine? Does he fight like a rockslide?"

Arthur just shot him an unimpressed look. "No, Merlin. Gwaine does not and you already know he has a place with my Knights. Stop harping on me about it."

Hands raised in defeat, Merlin couldn't help but grin anyway. "Just checking."

"Ah, yes, but do try not to tell him yet." Arthur warned with a finger pointed at his friend's nose. "I can't stand his gloating."

Merlin, for some horrid reason, thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard and threw his head back in a laugh. Arthur couldn't help but smile a little with him. His Sorcerer's laughter was contagious. No one was immune.

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><p>Arthur didn't truly understand the dread that had been steadily building in his gut until the second day of matches when Lancelot stepped out on the field and Gwen sucked in a surprised breath next him.<p>

He glanced over to see his wife, his Queen's eyes fastened rather fixedly on the man below them and the man's eyes fastened much the same on her. It was then that old buried memories and hurts resurfaced and Arthur understood.

That night, escaping from Heingst's castle, that deep look, and Gwen's tears when Lancelot had disappeared in the night had not been fully forgotten. Arthur could not forget though he'd buried it deep.

The match ended quickly and Lancelot stood the victor. He bowed to his King and Queen and Arthur nodded to him in silent congratulations.

Arthur would award Lancelot a place with his Knights there was no doubt about that. He glanced across the field to see Merlin watching Lancelot with a serious, unreadable expression and he knew. This was the beginning of the end.

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><p>(1) Hibernia was the name of the island of Ireland during the time <em>Merlin<em> is set in, around the second century. According Ptolemy's written _Geography_(approx. A.D. 100), he described Great Britain (Albion) and Ireland (Hibernia).

TBC… Sequel: **The End of an Era**


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